Pennsylvania State University Percussion Professor Lee Hinkle stops by to talk about all things Penn State, getting hired during the pandemic, negotiating the job, and entrepreneurship classes (03:35), his predecessor Dan Armstrong, the facilities, recruitment, and Penn State football (18:20), freelancing and his faculty teaching load (32:55), his recent album release Modern American Percussion Concerti (41:00), growing up in central Florida, the folk musicians in his family, marching band, drumset, and martial arts (50:20), attending the University of South Florida for undergrad, focusing on percussion and voice performance, and the importance of vocal pedagogy in musical performance (01:02:35), attending the University of Maryland for his master’s and doctorate, then transitioning to a faculty position soon after (01:19:20), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including the tearing down the silos of the percussion world, his active physical health regimen, student memes, great books, scuba diving and submersibles, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (01:35:05).

Finishing with a Rave on a recent live performance by the UK band The Last Dinner Party (01:58:40).

Lee Hinkle Links:

Lee Hinkle’s Website

Modern American Percussion Concerti - Lee Hinkle

Williamsport Symphony Orchestra

Lee Hinkle’s Penn State Page

21st Century Consort

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Cameron Leach in 2023

Dan Piccolo in 2020

Gwen Dease in 2017

Jauvon Gilliam in 2019

Other Links:

Dan Armstrong

Gregory Drane

Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin

Altoona Symphony Orchestra

Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra

Nittany Valley Symphony

Washington Master Chorale

Signature Theater

Benjamin Ramirez

Naomi Seidman

Maurice Wright

Evelyn Glennie’s Concertos page

American Composers Alliance

“Conjurer” - John Corigliano

Colin Currie

William Hudgins

Kennedy Space Center

Playalinda Beach

Ron Jon Surf Shop

Carter Beauford

“Tom Sawyer” - Rush

“The Wanton Song” - Led Zeppelin

“What is Hip?” - Tower of Power

311 Tiny Desk Concert

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” - Stevie Wonder

“Longview” - Green Day

“A Love Supreme” - John Coltrane (Elvin Jones, drums)

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” - Nirvana

Isshin-ryu

Annetta Monroe

The Harry Partch Ensemble

Lou Harrison

John Cage

John Tafoya

John Tafoya’s Orchestral Repertory Books

Tony Ames

Nancy Zeltsman

Tim Adams

Robert Marino

Shutter Island trailer

Signs trailer

Rachael Ray

Jack Reacher series - Lee Child

The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond

Collapse - Jared Diamond

Pacific Crest Trail

Stanley Submarines

Ninth Symphony - L.V. Beethoven

Raves:

The Last Dinner Party’s website

West Virginia University Director of the School of Music and Director of the World Music Performance Center Mike Vercelli stops by to talk about his work at WVU along with their incredible percussion inventory (03:10), his work navigating the new financial reality for colleges and the importance of developing entrepreneurship in students (18:00), growing up in New Hampshire, his percussion and music background, his unusual lessons background, and playing in rock bands and youth orchestra (29:50), attending UConn for undergrad, his various teachers at the program, and the growth of men’s and women’s college basketball there (38:30), his master’s degree at Bowling Green State (OH) and his first prominent experiences in world percussion, including his first trip to Ghana (45:05), taking time away from school, teaching and freelancing in Ohio and Arizona, heading to the University of Arizona for his doctorate, and his 6 months of study in Ghana (54:05), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on the inclusion of world percussion in a western arts curriculum, making hot sauce and spicy foods, travel writer Paul Theroux, New England seafood, bad jobs, wild performance situations, and the Smithsonian African American History Museum (01:19:15).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Project: Hail Mary (01:52:15).

Mike Vercelli Links:

Mike Vercelli’s WVU page

Learning Gyil - Mike Vercelli

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Jason Baker in 2020

Alex Weir in 2026

Norman Weinberg in 2017

Josh Armstrong in 2018

Daniel Smithiger in 2017

Megan Arns in 2017

Other Links:

WVU’s World Music page

Phil Faini

Ellie Mannette

Paschal Younge

Tim Peterman

Mantle Hood

Alexander Lepak

Peter Coutsouridis

Roger Schupp

Steven Cornelius

Abraham Adzenyah

Emmanuel Agbeli

Gary Cook

Teaching Percussion - Gary Cook

Jonathan Latta

Scott Shinbara

Erick Saoud

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring trailer

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey trailer

Captain America: The First Avenger trailer

On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey - Paul Theroux

Raves:

Project: Hail Mary trailer

Minneapolis-based musician, educator, percussionist, recording artist, and visual artist Jenny Klukken stops by to talk about her portfolio career and the challenges of playing marimba in small rooms (04:50), her recording and compositional process, her new album Marimba Standard, and the importance of entrepreneurship in the arts (24:30), growing up in rural Minnesota, her enjoyment of jazz and early country music, Spotify Wrapped, and focusing on listening to albums (43:25), attending the University of Minnesota for undergrad, working through 4-mallet grips, her experiences attending the Zeltsman Marimba Festival, her puppetry career as “Jenny and the Pets”, and combining musical artistry with her visual artistry (01:05:45), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including her experiences as a woman in the arts, cooking stories, movies that inspire and/or infuriate, pet names and their backstories, living on a dairy farm, and Pat Metheny (01:35:25).

Finishing with a remembrance on the passing of an important living being (02:00:00).

Jenny Klukken Links:

Jenny Klukken’s website

Jenny Klukken’s new album Marimba Standard

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Fernando Meza in 2020

Eri Isomura in 2024

Josh Graham in 2025

Marco Schirripa in 2022

Abby Fisher in 2021

Lynn Vartan in 2019

Other Links:

Steve Yeager

Eric Sammut

Pete’s Marimba album

“Shadows of the Night” - Pat Benatar

Angela Myles Beeching

“Don’t Fence Me In” - Gene Autry

“Crowded Table” - The Highwomen

Nickel Creek’s NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Nancy Zeltsman

Jack van Geem

Ivana Bilic

Maurice’s

Katarzyna Mycka

Keiko Abe

The Emperor’s New Groove trailer

The Devil Wears Prada trailer

The Little Mermaid trailer

Rebecca trailer

Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

James - Percival Everett

“Kin” - Pat Metheny

Sandbox Percussion Group member, as well as freelancer, percussionist, and educator Jonny Allen stops by to talk about all things Sandbox Percussion, including the beginnings of the band, member responsibility to each other, and getting to teach (03:20), their work with Andy Akiho on Seven Pillars (29:05), Jonny’s work with the American Modern Opera Company (40:45), growing up in Connecticut, his drumset and marching band beginnings, and his sports background (44:55), going to Eastman (NY) for undergrad and studying with Michael Burritt and John H. Beck (54:00), going to Yale (CT) for grad school and studying with Robert Van Sice (01:06:05), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including sections on percussion logistics, problems using Zoom, New Haven pizza, great books and podcasts, New England Patriots Football, and Dutch Minimalism (01:21:30).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 Oscars Telecast (01:51:00).

Jonny Allen links:

Jonny’s Sandbox Percussion page

Seven Pillars - Andy Akiho

American Modern Opera Company

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Victor Caccese in 2019

Ian Rosenbaum in 2025

David Skidmore in 2025

Sean Connors in 2025

Peter Martin in 2025

Robert Dillon in 2025

Todd Meehan in 2017

Megan Arns in 2017

Other links:

NEXUS

So Percussion

Amadinda

Percussions de Strasbourg

Robert van Sice

Bang on a Can

“to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem” - Andy Akiho

Time Travelers percussion

Michael McQuilken

Matthew Aucoin

“Purple Haze” - Jimi Hendrix Experience

John H. Beck

Michael Burritt

Leigh Howard Stevens

Steve Gadd

Yale Percussion Group

“Third Construction” - John Cage

Modern Apizza

Pepe’s Pizzeria

Sally’s Apizza

BAR New Haven

Catch Me If You Can trailer

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer

The Love Guru trailer

Holes - Louis Sachar

The Three-Body Problem - Liu Cixin

Patriots Unfiltered

Patriots - Seahawks Super Bowl LX

The Telepathy Tapes

Jacob Collier

Cinque terre Italy

Canto Ostinato - Simeon Ten Holt

Raves:

2026 Oscars

McGill University (QB) Percussion Professor and co-founder of the Percussion Group Sixtrum Fabrice Marandola stops by to talk about his job at McGill, his teaching career in France prior to moving to Canada, the nature of entrepreneurship, and supervising the new percussion space at the University (04:05), all things Sixtrum, along with the importance of applying for grants and being a nonprofit (27:10), growing up in central France and an overview of his career (42:30), the city of Paris and its relationship with the rest of the country, as well as his time as a French folk dancer (53:20), his undergrad years at the Superior National Conservatory of France, and his studies in music theory and harmony (01:09:30), his ethnomusicological background and his studies in Cameroon (01:17:50), and stays around for the Random Ass Questions, including discussions of sound production and musical re-creation, working and performing with his spouse, Kristie Ibrahim, great French authors, adventures in food, and inspiring art (01:29:30).

Finishing with a Rave on the best films of the 2026 True/False Documentary Film Festival (02:02:40).

Fabrice Marandola links:

Fabrice’s McGill page

Sixtrum

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Kristie Ibrahim in 2024

Aiyun Huang in 2023

Gina Ryan in 2026

Megan Arns in 2017

Other Links:

TorQ Percussion Quartet

Percussions de Strasbourg

Frederic Macarez

Jacques Delécluse

“Psappha” - Iannis Xenakis

Apocalypse Now trailer

Red Grass - Boris Vian

Claude Levi-Strauss

Victor Hugo

Discourse on the Method - Rene Descartes

Raves:

True/False 2026

Principal Percussionist with the San Francisco Symphony and Director of Percussion Studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Jake Nissly stops by to talk about both of his positions, the orchestral auditions process, his mentors, being versatile in many genres of percussion, and his experiences with the Detroit and Cleveland Symphonies (03:30), specifics about the Principal Percussion Duties and the excellence of Davies Symphony Hall (28:30), his teaching position and his recent commissioning projects (35:15), growing up in Iowa, having family in the arts, being a highly motivated young person, making early connections to Northwestern (IL) and percussion versatility (45:50), his undergrad years at Northwestern and studying with Michael Burritt (01:04:10), going to Juilliard (NYC), freelancing in New York, and eventually earning a spot in the New World Symphony (01:14:00), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on working with young composers, his personal commitment to physical and mental health and long-distance running all over the world, lots of great books, memorable Chicago Cubs moments in his life, coaching his son’s baseball team, and the excellence of Steve Reich (01:20:15).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films (01:58:40).

Jake Nissly links:

Jake’s SFSO page

Jake’s SFCM page

Jake’s Vic Firth page

Jake’s Aspen Music Festival page

Losing Earth - Adam Schoenberg

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Will James in 2017

Steven Schick in 2025

Patti Niemi in 2018

Matthew Coley in 2021

Eric Hollenbeck in 2025

David Skidmore in 2025

Sean Connors in 2025

Peter Martin in 2025

Robert Dillon in 2025

Other Links:

Percussion Concerto - Andy Akiho

Katherine Siochi

Rene Orth

PEAUX from Pleades - Iannis Xenakis

Doug Perkins

Michael Tilson Thomas

“Suire for Violin and American Gamelan” - Lou Harrison

San Francisco Symphony Musicians

Michael Burritt

Paul Wertico

James Ross

Gregory Zuber

Daniel Druckman

Roland Kohloff

Joseph Petrasek

Robert Klieger

Eric Renick

Michael Israelievitch

Sergio Carreno

Richard Weiner

Marc Damoulakis

California Percussion & Backline Rentals

How to Write for Percussion - Sam Solomon

Davies Symphony Hall

Jack van Geem

Haruka Fuji

Tito Muñoz

Clair Omar Musser

Colts Drum & Bugle Corps

Woody Smith

Michael Pfaff (“Tortilla Man”)

Bill Stewart

Dave Weckl

“If I Wanted To” - Melissa Etheridge

“Kiss from a Rose” - Seal

“Third Construction” - John Cage

Kris Keeton

Annie Stevens

“Michi” - Keiko Abe

Eric Garcia

Brett Dietz

“Kin” - Pat Metheny

The Usual Suspects trailer

Ghostbusters trailer

Groundhog Dog trailer

The Matrix trailer

Barbie trailer

1984 - George Orwell

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Marukami

Absolutely on Music: Conversations on Seiji Ozawa - Haruki Marukami

Music Has a Right to Children - Boards of Canada

Cubs win the World Series

The Bartman Incident

B-Bop’s

Music for 18 Musicians - Steve Reich

Mallet Quartet - Steve Reich

Drumming: Part 1 - Steve Reich

Music for Pieces of Wood - Steve Reich

Clapping Music - Steve Reich

Raves:

The 2026 Oscars Animated Film Shorts Nominees

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Percussion Professor Alex Wier stops by to talk about his job at UWM, Present Music, Chamber Music Playing, and the culture of the arts in Milwaukee (03:10), growing up in St. Louis and Phoenix, his musical beginnings, marching band, and playing video games (24:50), attending the University of Arizona for undergrad (38:35), going to Northwestern University (IL) for his master’s and taking a break from school after the degree (49:40), getting his doctorate from Arizona State (01:04:45), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on developing young percussionists, cooking for children, great movies, TV shows, and books, his varied sports fandoms, and unusual performance experiences (01:14:45).

Finishing with a Rave on the best of the 2026 Winter Olympics (01:39:15).

Alex Wier Links:

Alex Wier’s website

Alex Wier’s University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee page

Present Music

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Norman Weinberg in 2017

She-e Wu in 2025

Andy Miller in 2026

Steve Hemphill in 2020

Jeff Hewitt in 2021

Josh Armstrong in 2018

Mike Sammons in 2022

Other Links:

“Threads” - Paul Lansky

“Timber” - Michael Gordon

JB Smith

Simone Mancuso

“Radio Rewrite” - Steve Reich

Jack Forbes

Gary Cook

James Ross

Mike Vercelli

Jonathan Latta

Wes Hawkins

“Six Japanese Gardens” - Kaija Saariaho

“Silver Streetcar for the Orchestra” - Alvin Lucier

“Dressur” - Mauricio Kagel

Interstellar trailer

Inception trailer

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift trailer

Eagle Eye trailer

Kurt Vonnegut

Packers-Bears 2025 Wild Card

Arrested Development Season 1

I’m Making a Giant Salad

Severance Season 1

Raves:

USA-Canada Gold Medal Women’s Hockey Game 2026

USA-Canada Gold Medal Men’s Hockey Game 2026

Alysa Liu’s Gold Medal Free Skate

Indiana University Lecturer in Music Andy Miller stops by to talk about his percussion position at IU and the opportunities for creative concert outlets (03:00), being on the 2025 PASIC New Music/Research panel on Percussion and Dance and his prior teaching position at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (22:15), growing up in Dayton (OH) and getting into music and sports (39:40), attending Wright State (OH) for undergrad (53:30), going to the University of Illinois for the Master’s and changing his career focus (01:00:10), winning a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Colombía, Bang on a Can, and working in commercial cabinetry (01:12:05), his doctoral studies at IU (01:26:45), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including discussions on student mental health, Momofuku noodles, great movies, video games, Dayton pizza, and the writing of Wendell Berry (01:33:30).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 animated film Arco (01:52:00).

Andy Miller Links:

Andy Miller’s IU page

Previous Podcast guests mentioned:

Alexandros Fragiskatos in 2021

Drew Tucker in 2026

Meridythe Witt in 2026

William Moersch in 2019

Fernando Meza in 2020

Other Links:

Michael Spiro

Wayne Wallace

Latin American Music Center

John Tafoya

Joseph Gramley

Christopher Lamb

Merce Cunningham

Beto Torrens

Jerry Noble

Ricardo Flores

Carlos Vives

Robert E. Brown Center for World Music

Mamady Keita

Bolo Conde

Giovanni Hidalgo

Juri Seo

Thomas Turino

“Rhythm Gradation” - Toshi Ichiuyanagi

Bang on a Can Summer Festival

“2x5” - Steve Reich

Jorge Alabé

Lars and the Real Girl trailer

The Room trailer

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Hollow Knight trailer

Underworld trailer

Marion’s Pizza

Wendell Berry

Raves:

Arco trailer

Orlando (FL) - based Percussionist and Dancer Meridythe Witt stops by to talk about performing as a dancer and drummer in theme parks, the audition process for these gigs, and how she stays “grounded in dance” (02:25), growing up in California, Indiana and Maryland, her musical family and their influence on her life, getting into dance and music early on, and a primer on ballet styles (19:45), attending Radford University (VA) for undergrad, getting degrees in dance and percussion performance at the same time there, creating collaborative opportunities there, and her experiences at PASIC50 on the New Music/Research Panel (44:15), and takes time for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on gestures and counting, baking bread, Bruce Springsteen, Twyla Tharp, rollercoasters, airports, and gymnastics (01:19:20).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary film Monk in Pieces (01:43:40).

Meridythe Witt links:

Meridythe Witt’s Webpage

Meridythe’s instagram

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Alexandros Fragiskatos in 2021

Drew Tucker in 2026

Other Links:

George Balanchine

Vaganova Ballet Method

The Drummer’s Cookbook - John Pickering

Advanced Techniques - Jim Chapin

“Take Five” - Dave Brubeck

Jim Petercsak

Robert Sanderl

“Frogs” - Keiko Abe

“Drum Corps on Parade” - John S. Pratt

“to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem” - Andy Akiho

“Mirage” - Yasuo Sueyoshi

William Newton

Dave Rivers

Born to Run 50th Anniversary

Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary

“Lingus” - Snarky Puppy

LaDuca Dance Shoes

Napoleon Dynamite trailer

Happy Gilmore trailer

This is Spinal Tap trailer

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

The Collaborative Habit - Twyla Tharp

“Mallet Quartet” - Steve Reich

Raves:

Monk in Pieces trailer

Mika Godbole returns to talk about attending Rowan University (NJ) for her master’s, studying orchestral music and taking auditions, and moving her focus to chamber music (03:25), attending Rutgers University (NJ) for her doctorate, her research on Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, timpani talk, teaching at York College (PA) and her early freelancing, and how the pandemic allowed her to recalibrate her life (14:45), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on marimba performance, our favorite pop music, marching and indoor percussion, percussion conferences, Indian food, great movies, and so much more (35:00).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 film No Other Choice (01:09:00).

Mika Godbole Links:

Part 1 with Mika Godbole

William Paterson University Percussion Faculty

Mantra Percussion page

NJ PAS Facebook page

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Megan Arns in 2017

Julia Gaines-Montag in 2016

Clif Walker in 2021

She-e Wu in 2025

Evan Chapman in 2019

Other Links:

Dean Witten

Alan Abel

Markus Rhoten

So Percussion Summer Institute

Joseph Tompkins

Chris Deviney

Music for 18 Musicians - Steve Reich

NEXUS

Marc Mellits

Doug Perkins

“Thank You (____)” - Jason Treuting

“Englishman in New York” - Sting

“Big Time” - Peter Gabriel

“They Won’t Go When I Go” - Stevie Wonder

“Black Dog” - Led Zeppelin

“Forty Six & 2” - TOOL

“Killing in the Name” - Rage Against the Machine

“The Scythe” - The Last Dinner Party

“Classical” - Vampire Weekend

“oceania” - Björk

The Sandlot trailer

…Say Anything trailer

Batman & Robin trailer

The Love Guru trailer

The Lord of the Rings 25th Anniversary trailer

All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque

“Kinder than Man” - Althea Davis

Raves:

No Other Choice trailer